O'Neill, E., & Jobes, C. C. (2024, March), A Study of Ackerman Steering and Its Applicability to SAE Mini Baja  Paper presented at 2024 ASEE North Central Section Conference, Kalamazoo, Michigan. 10.18260/1-2--45592

\bibitem{asee_peer_45592}
  O'Neill, E., \& Jobes, C. C. (2024, March), \emph{A Study of Ackerman Steering and Its Applicability to SAE Mini Baja}
  Paper presented at 2024 ASEE North Central Section Conference, Kalamazoo, Michigan.
  10.18260/1-2--45592

Ethan O'Neill and Christopher Charles Jobes P.E..  "A Study of Ackerman Steering and Its Applicability to SAE Mini Baja".  2024 ASEE North Central Section Conference, Kalamazoo, Michigan, 2024, March.  ASEE Conferences, 2024.  https://peer.asee.org/45592 Internet.  17 May, 2024

\bibitem{asee_peer_45592}
  Ethan O'Neill and Christopher Charles Jobes P.E..
  "A Study of Ackerman Steering and Its Applicability to SAE Mini Baja".
  \emph{2024 ASEE North Central Section Conference, Kalamazoo, Michigan, 2024, March}.
  ASEE Conferences, 2024.
  https://peer.asee.org/45592 Internet.  17 May, 2024

@INPROCEEDINGS{asee_peer_45592
author = "Ethan O'Neill and Christopher Charles Jobes P.E."
title = "A Study of Ackerman Steering and Its Applicability to SAE Mini Baja"
booktitle = "2024 ASEE North Central Section Conference"
year = "2024"
month = "March"
address = "Kalamazoo, Michigan"
publisher = "ASEE Conferences"
note = {https://peer.asee.org/45592}
number = {10.18260/1-2--45592}
}

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Ackerman steering is one of the most common ideal geometries for steering systems. Based on the concept of each wheel turning on a radius around a point along the line of the rear axle, Ackerman steering minimizes tire scrubbing, thereby increasing grip, improving turning capabilities, and decreasing wear on the system as a whole. Ackerman steering is particularly applicable for low-speed, off-road vehicles whose tires dig into the ground more.
SAE Baja is a competition for collegiate vehicular testing, in which constructed vehicles undergo the various rigors of off-road racing. Geneva College senior engineering students work on a Baja cart every year, with the goal of competing each spring. This 2023-2024 school year, the Baja team inherited a Baja cart that had been damaged during competition the previous year. The steering system was part of the damaged equipment and had been subsequently mended with an old, retired steering rack. Due to this repair, the resulting steering geometry differed from ideal Ackerman by a significant degree.
The goal in this paper is to obtain a more ideal steering geometry. To that extent, the current geometry was first analyzed using the 2D physics modeling program Working Model 2D to understand and analyze the faults in the geometry. Following that, a system of three equations was used to obtain the dimensions necessary for constructing ideal Ackerman steering geometry. With the proper dimensions, a new model was built in Working Model 2D and was confirmed to agree with ideal Ackerman steering. However, it was determined that implementing ideal Ackerman steering given the geometrical constraints imposed by the current Baja cart was impossible. These constraints included wheelbase, track width, and tie rod geometry necessary for bump steer elimination. To that extent, two nearly ideal Ackerman steering geometries were found to be the most practical. Following 2D analysis, the two most practical steering systems were modeled in 3D space using Autodesk Inventor and then printed with an Ender 3 S1 Pro 3D printer. The 3D models were then tested to ensure performance continued as expected, even with a physical system. Finally, the resulting two steering geometries were recommended for use by current and future teams with the understanding that ideal Ackerman behavior was unobtainable due to current physical constraints.
AU  - Ethan O'Neill
AU  - Christopher Charles Jobes P.E.
CY  - Kalamazoo, Michigan
DA  - 2024/03/22
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - A Study of Ackerman Steering and Its Applicability to SAE Mini Baja
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/45592
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--45592
ER  -